MacBook Pro 14-inch M4

A Laptop That Actually Works Hard

Look, I'm not going to pretend the MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 is for everyone. At $1,599, it's a serious investment. But if you actually need a laptop that can handle real work, reviewers found this thing is genuinely impressive.

The M4 chip is where the magic happens. Reviewers tested it against Windows laptops and older MacBooks, and it just runs circles around them. Video editing, photo management, complex spreadsheets, running multiple apps at once—it all feels smooth and fast. This isn't about bragging rights. It's about getting your work done without waiting around.

The display is beautiful. The 14-inch screen has a resolution of 3,024-by-1,964 pixels with mini LED backlighting that delivers contrast you'd expect from OLED. Reviewers loved the 1,000-nit brightness for working outside, which matters if you're the type who likes to work from the patio or coffee shop. The nano-textured glass reduces glare, so you're not fighting reflections all day.

Battery life is excellent. Reviewers measured nearly 29 hours of video playback, which sounds wild, but in real work it means you can get through a full day without hunting for an outlet. That's huge if you travel or work between meetings.

The keyboard and trackpad are solid. The keys have good feedback and the Touch ID sensor is convenient. The trackpad is big and responsive. The only complaint is the shallow key travel, which some people find too flat. If you're used to deeper, clicky keys, this might feel weird at first.

Here's what's honest: the design hasn't changed. It's refined and looks premium, but if you were hoping for something fresh and new, you might feel let down. The camera is also a bit disappointing. It's 12 megapixels and great for video calls with Center Stage, but it only captures 1080p video despite the higher resolution sensor.

The real question is whether you need this. If you're editing video, managing large creative projects, or running professional software, yes. If you're mostly browsing, emailing, and streaming, you could save money with a MacBook Air. But for people who actually need power and can afford it, reviewers found this is a laptop that won't slow you down.

MacBook Pro 14-Inch M4: A Competent Refresh, But the Price Doesn't Match the Progress

Apple's MacBook Pro 14-Inch with the M4 chip is a genuinely capable machine for professionals and content creators. The M4 processor delivers real performance gains over the M3, outperforming the Dell XPS 14 and HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 in productivity benchmarks. Battery life reaches 28 hours and 33 minutes in video playback testing, which is legitimately impressive for sustained work. The display is one of the best laptop screens available: 3,024-by-1,964 resolution, mini LED backlighting with near-OLED contrast, 1,600 nits peak brightness for HDR, and 120Hz ProMotion smoothness. Outdoor visibility is excellent at 1,000 nits. This is not a display compromise.

But here's where the business case falls apart. You're paying $1,599 for a laptop that looks identical to the 2023 model. The design hasn't changed. The bezels are the same. The footprint is the same. The only visual difference is the M4 badge. At a $1,599 entry price, that's a hard sell when the M3 model is likely discounted and the MacBook Air M3 offers similar real-world performance for less.

The keyboard remains shallow, which is a legitimate complaint from users who prefer deeper key travel. Yes, it has good feedback and Touch ID, but shallow travel is a design choice that's been criticized for years and Apple hasn't addressed it. The camera is another cost-cutting move: 12-megapixel sensor but capped at 1080p video capture. Why include the higher resolution sensor if you're not going to use it? The ports are solid (Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, SD card, 3.5mm jack), but they're not new.

The M4 performance gains are real. Productivity workloads run faster. Content creation is smoother. But the performance leap from M3 to M4 is incremental, not transformative. If you're upgrading from an M1 or M2, the jump is worth considering. If you own an M3, the performance gains don't justify the expense.

At $1,599, this laptop is priced like a flagship, but it's delivering an incremental refresh. The display and battery life are genuinely excellent. Performance is strong. But the identical design, shallow keyboard, and aggressive pricing make this a harder recommendation than it should be. You're paying for the brand and the M4 badge, not for innovation.